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If there’s a safe save situation in baseball, it’s the three-run lead over the Houston Astros to start the ninth inning. Just don’t tell that to Carlos Marmol, because he blew that exact situation in spectacular fashion last night. After getting the first out, he gave up a single to J.B. Shuck and then uncorked…

A federal appeals court yesterday gave some bad news to Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz: the bankruptcy trustee’s calculation of how much Madoff money they have to return was upheld — and Wilpon and Katz’s much lower calculation denied — meaning that they have to fork over $300 million. To be clear: this…

Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 2: Roy Halladay struck out 14 and pitched a complete game but lost all the same. Guess he just doesn’t know how to win, huh? Lyle Overbay knocked in all three of the Snakes’ runs, including a two-run double which ended up winning it in the ninth. Astros 6, Cubs 5: Where…

In talking about the “half-sweet” triple play turned by the Brewers last night, Craig wrote the following this morning: “I say half-sweet because the sweetest version is the lightning-fast around the horn thing in which the third baseman fields a hot shot, steps on the bag, fires it to second and then the second baseman…

Following tonight’s stunning loss to the Diamondbacks, the Phillies placed third baseman Placido Polanco on the 15-day disabled list with a sports hernia, reports Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Polanco hasn’t played since August 6, so he will be eligible to return next Monday against the Mets. He has ruled out the possibility of…

Prior to tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies unveiled a bronze statue in tribute to longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas, who passed away on April 13, 2009 at the age of 73. The statue stands in section 141 on the main concourse at Citizens Bank Park just outside the entrance to Harry the K’s, the…

The Giants are crumbling before our eyes. Already short handed on their bench tonight against the Braves, the Giants were forced to go to their bullpen early after left-hander Jonathan Sanchez was pulled in the bottom of the third inning with a left ankle sprain. Sanchez suffered the injury while fielding a sacrifice bunt by…

As expected, Brian Matusz has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and will start later tonight against the Athletics. Matusz, who began the year on the disabled list with an intercostal strain, compiled an ugly 8.77 ERA and 18/11 K/BB ratio over his first six starts in the majors this season before being demoted at the…

One of the game’s top pitching prospects is in some hot water. According to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have suspended prospect right-hander Shelby Miller for a “violation of team policy.” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak wouldn’t go into any specifics other than to say that the incident occurred in the past week.…

Thanks largely to the work of Sam Miller, the Orange County Register has one of the best baseball blogs of any newspaper in the country. The other bloggers, though, don’t always measure up, and Jeff Miller decided to take on Jim Thome’s 600th homer today, claiming that it’s just fine for us to assume he did…

I saw references to this video floating around the web earlier today and didn’t think much of it. I like Batting Stance Guy, but I didn’t figure it could be that great. But it is that great. I think Tim Kurkjian is the best — I don’t literally laugh out loud very often, but this…

Toronto has placed Jon Rauch on the disabled list after the closer underwent an emergency appendectomy in Seattle this morning. Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star speculates that the Blue Jays may give Jesse Litsch an opportunity to save games in Rauch’s absence, but turning back to former closer Frank Francisco seems more likely considering…

Carlos Beltran hasn’t played since August 7 because of a wrist injury, missing seven games while taking up a spot on the active roster, but according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News the Giants have finally decided to place him on the disabled list. And to replace Beltran on the roster the…

To my thinking, the only thing that can stop the juggernaut that is the Philadelphia Phillies are injuries. And on that score there is some not-awful-but-not-good news coming out of the Phillies clubhouse this afternoon: Cole Hamels, who has been suffering from dead arm, had a “precautionary” MRI yesterday, and the results, according to Matt…

When the Pirates recalled Pedro Alvarez from Triple-A two weeks ago they hinted that the move was more due to other players being injured than anything Alvarez did, and sure enough today they sent him back to the minors while activating Jose Tabata from the disabled list. Tabata, who sat out the past seven weeks…

James Shields has thrown a lot of complete games this year and today he tossed his ninth. A three-hitter too! Except he lost. The Sox beat the Rays 3-1. That’s what happens when (a) the other team’s pitchers only give up three hits as well; and (b) unlike you, they don’t bunch them altogether at…

Security guards at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. are in trouble after allegedly accepting autographed baseballs from Roger Clemens before his perjury trial last month. According to the Washington Post the U.S. Marshals Service “is investigating why and how six signed balls were sent to a guard by someone on Clemens’ defense team” and…

Because they’re in Washington, the Nationals have come to be baseball’s designated, well, National team when it comes to ceremonies, honors and things like that. Which I kind of like. Tonight they will be doing some of that honoring. Adam Kilgore reports: On Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds, the Nationals will wear cap emblazoned with the Navy SEALs…

Sergio Romo has been extraordinary for the Giants this season, throwing 38 innings with a 1.67 ERA, .153 opponents’ batting average, and ridiculous 53/4 K/BB ratio, but he’s been bothered by elbow soreness recently and was placed on the disabled list today. Dan Runzler, who struggled in 18 appearances for the Giants earlier this season,…